The room fell silent.
The cold atmosphere lingered heavily in the air as everyone processed the reality of their situation.
They had entered this operation believing they were seasoned mercenaries capable of handling almost anything Night City could throw at them.
Yet now, chained to a wall and completely at the mercy of a corporate operative, they were being forced to make the most important decision of their lives.
Maine slowly raised his head and looked at Victor.
Years of surviving Night City’s streets had taught him countless lessons.
The most important one was simple: know when you’ve lost.
The fact that they were still breathing already spoke volumes.
Most corporations would have dumped their bodies into an incinerator by now.
Instead, Victor was offering them something else.
An opportunity.
Or perhaps a different kind of cage.
“…We need to discuss this among ourselves,” Maine finally said.
“Give us a few minutes.” Victor studied him for a moment before nodding.
“Fine.” He stood from his chair without hesitation.
“But don’t keep me waiting.” The metal door slid shut behind him.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Everyone understood the gravity of the situation.
Finally, Pilar broke the silence.
“You seriously thinking about trusting a corp-rat?” His voice carried obvious resentment.
The others exchanged uneasy looks.
Nobody liked corporations.
Nobody trusted corporations.
Yet trust wasn’t exactly relevant when your alternatives were death or obedience.
Rebecca crossed her arms and frowned.
“What if we just agree for now?
Then once we get outside, we grab him, take him hostage, and run.” The room became silent again.
Everyone stared at her.
Rebecca blinked.
“What?” Pilar looked genuinely concerned.
“Sis…
did they hit your head harder than we thought?” Rebecca immediately exploded.
“The hell is that supposed to mean?!” “It means,” Pilar said flatly, “you somehow forgot how five heavily armed Edgerunners got folded like cheap lawn chairs.” Rebecca opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
The memory was still painfully fresh.
Victor had dismantled their entire crew with terrifying efficiency.
The realization made her slump back against the wall.
“…Right.” Maine rubbed his temples.
The headache wasn’t helping.
“Dorio?” The tall woman glanced toward him.
“I’ll support whatever decision you make.” As expected.
She trusted his judgment completely.
Falco leaned against the wall and sighed.
“I say we take the deal.” Everyone turned toward him.
Falco shrugged.
“Look at where we are.
Refusing isn’t really an option.” He paused.
“Besides, working for a megacorp comes with benefits.” A bitter smile appeared on his face.
“Funny, isn’t it?
After everything we’ve said about corps over the years, we end up becoming part of one.” “A wise man submits to circumstances,” Maine muttered.
Falco nodded.
“Exactly.” Nobody argued.
The truth was simple.
Dead mercenaries had no principles.
No dreams.
No future.
You had to survive first.
Everything else came afterward.
Maine slowly looked around the room.
Rebecca.
Pilar.
Dorio.
Falco.
His family.
His crew.
The people who had fought beside him through countless jobs.
Protecting them had always been his responsibility.
And right now, survival meant accepting Victor’s offer.
“…We’re doing it.” The decision was made.
Maine raised his voice.
“Victor!” A few moments later, the door opened.
Victor stepped back inside with the same calm expression he always wore.
One glance was enough.
He already knew their answer.
“It seems you’ve reached a decision.” Maine nodded.
“We accept.” For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Victor’s face.
“A wise choice.” Click.
Click.
The restraints released simultaneously.
Metal cuffs fell away from wrists that had been trapped for hours.
The crew stretched their sore muscles.
Freedom never felt so good.
Victor’s gaze shifted toward Pilar’s missing arm.
“A Ripperdoc will arrive shortly.” Pilar blinked.
“What for?” “Medical evaluation.
Cyberware replacement.
Full upgrades.” Victor spoke as though discussing the weather.
“Consider it an employee benefit.” Maine smirked.
“Along with a few hidden tracking devices, right, Boss?” Victor completely ignored the comment.
Instead, he sat down and folded his hands together.
“Now.” His eyes swept across the group.
“Let’s discuss your future.” Everyone instinctively straightened.
Even Rebecca.
Victor’s calm demeanor somehow felt more intimidating than outright threats.
“I need your crew to become famous.” The statement caught them off guard.
Victor continued.
“The cyberware you’ll receive will help accelerate that process.” He leaned slightly forward.
“Once your reputation grows, you’ll begin operating in Dogtown.” At the mention of Dogtown, everyone frowned.
That place wasn’t exactly known for welcoming outsiders.
Victor continued.
“You’ll accept jobs from Mr.
Hands.” Rebecca blinked.
“Without payment?” “Correct.” Maine finally spoke.
“Why?” Victor’s gaze locked onto him.
For a moment, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
“Don’t ask questions you don’t need answered.” The warning was subtle.
But unmistakable.
Maine immediately nodded.
Victor continued.
“Soon, an up-and-coming Fixer will establish contact with you.” “He’ll act as the intermediary.” “You’ll operate between Dogtown and Night City.” “Specific jobs will be assigned later.” As Victor spoke, Maine’s instincts screamed warnings.
He didn’t know the full plan.
But he knew enough.
This wasn’t random.
Victor was building something.
Positioning assets.
Preparing moves far beyond the understanding of ordinary mercenaries.
And somehow, they had just become pieces on that board.
Maine wisely kept those thoughts to himself.
“Understood.” Victor nodded approvingly.
“Good.” “The contact information for my people has already been uploaded to your systems.” “If problems arise, contact them.” His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Don’t contact me directly.” Rebecca almost laughed.
The man had the attitude of someone who considered speaking to other people a waste of time.
Victor stood.
“For now, complete your medical evaluations.” “Afterward, transportation will return you to Night City.” “Business resumes as usual.” He paused.
“As for your previous Fixer…” The warning was clear before he even finished speaking.
“Don’t say anything unnecessary.” “I’ve already provided the cover story.” Maine nodded again.
“Understood.” Victor turned to leave.
Then— “Hey!” Rebecca’s voice rang out.
The room instantly froze.
Pilar nearly suffered a heart attack.
Dorio closed her eyes.
Maine mentally prepared for disaster.
Victor stopped.
Slowly.
He turned around.
“Hm?” His expression showed genuine curiosity.
Rebecca swallowed.
But she refused to back down.
“You were the one who knocked me out, right?” Victor raised an eyebrow.
“So?” Rebecca pointed accusingly.
“Don’t you think I deserve compensation?” The room became deathly silent.
Maine wanted to slam his head into a wall.
Pilar looked ready to faint.
Even Falco seemed concerned.
Victor simply stared.
Then Rebecca finally revealed what she actually wanted.
“Tell me how Sasha is doing.” The tension vanished instantly.
Victor looked genuinely surprised.
Then he laughed.
A real laugh.
Not mocking.
Not cruel.
Just amused.
“I see.” For the first time, he looked at Rebecca differently.
Perhaps with a hint of approval.
“I like that.” Rebecca blinked.
Victor shrugged.
“She’s fine.” Rebecca’s shoulders visibly relaxed.
“Really?” Victor nodded.
“You’ll hear from her soon.” A huge grin appeared on Rebecca’s face.
The relief was obvious.
Victor shook his head slightly before walking away.
The heavy door closed behind him.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then Pilar exhaled loudly.
“Holy hell.” Rebecca frowned.
“What?” “You almost got us killed.” “I did not!” “You absolutely did.” Despite the argument, everyone felt noticeably lighter.
Because one thing had become clear.
Victor wasn’t what they expected.
Dangerous?
Absolutely.
Terrifying?
Without question.
But unlike most corporate executives, he didn’t seem interested in pointless cruelty.
That alone made him unusual.
Several hours later, the Ripperdocs arrived.
The facility transformed into a frenzy of medical activity.
Doctors examined implants.
Technicians reviewed neural systems.
Cyberware specialists practically had nervous breakdowns after seeing the crew’s modifications.
“Who installed this?” One doctor sounded horrified.
“This setup is begging for cyberpsychosis.” Another pointed toward Maine’s records.
“Look at these immunosuppressant levels.” “Is he trying to kill himself?” A third doctor stared at Pilar’s condition.
“We’re replacing everything.” Hours passed.
Surgery after surgery.
Upgrade after upgrade.
By the time everything finished, the crew barely recognized themselves.
Maine stared at his new Gorilla Arms.
Integrated projectile launch systems.
Military-grade enhancements.
Top-tier hardware.
He flexed his fingers.
The movement felt effortless.
Powerful.
Natural.
For the first time in years, he felt stronger while carrying less strain on his body.
Falco tested his upgraded Kiroshi optics.
The world became sharper.
Clearer.
More detailed.
Even distant objects appeared crystal clear.
Pilar practically wouldn’t stop showing off his replacement arm.
Rebecca threatened to shoot him if he continued.
Dorio simply shook her head and laughed.
Rebecca herself received advanced combat optics, enhanced biological leg modifications, and a Ballistic Coprocessor.
Dorio’s upgrades focused heavily on close-combat specialization.
Every single enhancement represented wealth beyond anything they could normally afford.
And the most shocking part?
Victor had provided everything without hesitation.
A Ripperdoc approached carrying several medical bags.
“Your immunosuppressants.” Each member received a package.
“Use them exactly as prescribed.” “No overdosing.” “No missed doses.” The warning was serious.
Maine looked at the expensive medication.
Then at the cyberware.
Then back at the medication.
He laughed quietly.
“Our new boss is ridiculously generous.” Nobody disagreed.
Eventually, security personnel arrived.
The crew was escorted through multiple secured corridors before entering an unremarkable transport vehicle.
Their vision and hearing were blocked throughout the journey.
Standard corporate procedure.
Hours later, the restraints were removed.
The vehicle door opened.
Night City’s familiar skyline greeted them once again.
The transport immediately drove away without another word.
For several moments, the crew simply stood there.
Looking at each other.
Looking at their new cyberware.
Looking at the city.
Everything felt different now.
Their lives had changed completely in a single day.
Maine slowly flexed his upgraded hands.
Rebecca adjusted her optics.
Falco checked his systems.
Dorio crossed her arms.
Pilar grinned like an idiot.
Finally, Falco spoke the words everyone was thinking.
“…This really feels like a dream.” And somewhere deep inside, they all knew the same thing.
The moment they accepted Victor’s offer, their future had become tied to forces far greater than anything they had ever imagined.
——————————– CREATORS’ THOUGHTS ShadowSamuraiTL Have some idea about my story?
Comment it and let me know.